


The Thin Line

by alohdark



Category: Daredevil (Comics), Daredevil (TV)
Genre: First Meetings, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-30
Updated: 2015-04-30
Packaged: 2018-03-26 13:02:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3851941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alohdark/pseuds/alohdark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt hears of another vigilante running around New York and vows to meet him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Thin Line

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd, per my usual.

Matt had heard about the new vigilante running around New York City. A man in all black with a white skull spray painted across his chest hunting down and slaughtering the wicked. The media was calling him “The Punisher” but Matt didn't care about any of that. He only cared about the fear that was infecting Hell's Kitchen and making innocent people afraid to leave at night just in case they were caught in the crossfires of mistaken for a drug dealer. It caused Matt to spend more late nights out just sitting on rooftops straining all his senses and exhausting his mind trying to find the man causing the fear. 

Some people wouldn't believe there was much a difference between The Devil of Hell's Kitchen and this “Punisher,” Matt knew this well. He walked the line himself that he knew separated himself and this other man. But it was this line that made all the difference. Keeping to the hopes of the justice system. Holding tight that punishment is for a jury of peers to decide and not a maniac with a machine gun. 

Holding this tight in his heart Matt scanned the streets below him, bracing himself against the buffering winds that were both a blessing and a curse to his search. More of a blessing, Matt realized, as he caught the hint of gunpowder and kevlar mixed with fresh spray paint. Faint but the wind gave him a direction that lead him towards a crescendo of violence. 

Fist cracking bones with their force. Knives tearing flesh. The crack of gunshots before the stench of freshly burned gunpowder floated up. 

It was three against one, but more prone bodies litter the floor. Some with no heart beats, some with faint pulses. And a few cowering, their hearts pounding in fear. But one heart beat stood out amongst the rest with it's steady, strong beat. He knew his mission and kept to it with all the determination and destruction of a hurricane. This is the man The Devil wanted to talk to. Wanted to stop. To talk sense into. But for the time being he jumped into the fight and helped knock the rest of the men to the ground. A gun cocked and before the average man could track it, Matt was standing between the barrel of a gun and a gangbanger on the ground.

“The police are on their way. There is no need to kill anyone.” 

“Out of the way.” 

The voice was steady as steal, low and powerful. There was no emotion. Not a flutter in his chest. 

“Let the police do their job. You already murdered their boss. Let the rest face their punishment in the courts.” 

The gun never wavered. Never even twitched. Matt took a step forward and raised his hands, palm out, hoping to get inside this man's guard and take the gun from him. Matt didn't have much hope it would work, but he had to try. The men littering the ground around them were criminals but they didn't deserve to be put down like rabid animals. 

Matt took another step forward, letting his senses process everything about the man before him that he could. The scent of the clothing, the guns, the blood dripping off the knvies. The fresh soap, generic and unscented. No cologne, no anything to make this man distinct to the nose. Nothing but the nature aroma of his sweat distinguished him. 

Matt had let had let his guard down just a little too much as he stepped forward and didn't expect the blow before it was almost too late. The fight was on again, this time they faced each other and not the criminals around them. The police sirens were drawing closer, he could almost hear their radios clearly, and Matt realized he couldn't bring this fight to an end before they arrived. It came down to risking exposure by continuing the fight, leaving the scene and letting the Punisher kill whoever was left alive, or try and move the fight. 

Seconds were ticking away as they fought. The other man's fists brutal against Matt's uniform, breaking blood vessels and fracturing his bones. Matt's own fists did their own damage but they were evenly matched. Matt was faster, but the Punisher was stronger. They fell apart and took a few panting moments to size the other up. 

“The police are almost here. Just let them do their jobs. Give these men a second chance to do the right thing with their lives.” 

“These scum will be back on the streets.” He said, dropping into a more casual stance and fastening his weapons in their holders. Matt almost let himself follow suit into a more relaxed stance but remembered the attack that started this fight between them. “I'll find them when they are and finish this. Not everyone deserves a second chance.” 

He took a few running steps and crashed through the window to the side. Matt raced to follow but somehow lost him in the crowd. He climbed up to the top of a roof far enough away from the drug den he was just in to be away from the sirens and tried to concentrate on finding that steady heartbeat. He couldn't find it in the chaos of the streets. 

Matt cursed to himself and restrained himself from punching the wall in frustration. A broken hand would do him no good. He took a mental assessment of his wounds before declaring himself fine enough to just go home and treat himself. Dawn was going to come too soon as it was and Matt just wanted to shower and figure out a new plan of action with this vigilante. He saw too much of who he could become if he crossed the invisible line in this brief encounter with him. Matt would find him and either bring him back from the abyss he was spiraling, or bring him down as he would anyone else who threatened the safety of Hell's Kitchen.


End file.
